Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St Safety Improvements

Updated June 13, 2024

New traffic signal is live at Highland Park Way SW & SW Holden St 

The new permanent traffic signal is live at Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St, contributing to improved safety and traffic flow. 

Person walking across Southwest Holden Street on Highland Park Way Southwest under the new traffic signal

View of the new permanent signal from the southwest corner of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St

This work included hanging traffic cameras to monitor and adjust the signal in real-time and installing traffic loops in the pavement on all four sides of the intersection so the signal can recognize when a person driving is waiting at the light. We also activated the crosswalk buttons on the sidewalks, so people can request a signal change when they need to walk across the street.

Cars driving under the new traffic signal at the Intersection of Highland Park Way Southwest

View of the new permanent signal from the northwest corner of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St

Thank you for your patience as we create a safer and more accessible intersection for all.

Project Overview & Design

Highland Park Way SW is a major north-south route in West Seattle, providing access to SR 99, SR 509, I-5, and the Duwamish Trail. It has been the site of several crashes and safety issues due to poor sight distances, high speeds, travel lane confusion, and a lack of pedestrian facilities like crosswalks. The Highland Park community asked for changes at this busy intersection and this project includes:

  • A more durable traffic signal with metal poles that have signal lights instead of lights connected to wooden poles.
  • Traffic cameras to monitor and adjust the signal in real-time, as well as vehicle detection in the pavement so the signal can recognize when a person driving is waiting at the light.
  • New sidewalks and upgraded ADA accessible concrete curb ramps and curb bulbs at all four corners of the intersection.
  • Permanent crosswalks at each crossing. 

Map of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden Street intersection that shows new crosswalks at all four crossings, an upgraded 4-way permanent traffic signal, and upgraded curb ramps and curb bulbs at all four corners of the intersection.

Public Art Installation

On November 9, 2023 this 17-foot-tall Steller’s jay landed on southwest corner of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St, welcoming all to the neighborhood. This new public artwork was created by Matthew Mazzotta and is titled Where’s the Party: Elevating Nature and Resilience. It was chosen by a community selection panel and administered by Seattle Office of Arts & Culture as part of the Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St Safety Improvements Project. Learn more on our blog.  

17-foot tall sculpture of a Steller's jay at the corner of Highland Park Way Southwest and Southwest Holden Street

Project History & Additional Traffic Calming 

The closure of the West Seattle Bridge on March 23, 2020 brought significant traffic to the Highland Park neighborhood and to the already-strained intersection of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St. One of the first projects we built shortly after the bridge closed was a temporary signal at the intersection. This temporary signal will be replaced by a permanent signal as part of the Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden St Safety Improvements project. 

In June and July 2020, we also built speed humps and cushions in nine locations near the intersection to support safety around the new traffic signal. These locations are shown below. The speed humps and cushions help slow down vehicles as they approach the intersection and discourage neighborhood cut-through traffic. Speed humps are a solid hump across the road and speed cushions leave spaces between for emergency vehicles and people biking to easily pass through. 

Separate from this project, the Reconnect West Seattle project team added traffic calming in the Highland Park neighborhood to address detour traffic from the West Seattle Bridge closure, through a Home Zone. A Home Zone involves the entire neighborhood working together to prioritize improvements that calm traffic on residential streets and improve pedestrian mobility and neighborhood livability.

Locations of speed humps and cushions in Highland Park neighborhood

Materials

Funding

This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. The public artwork was built into the construction budget as a 1% for Art project. 

Transportation

Adiam Emery, Interim Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.